Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree
by The Oblivious Wallflower
Summary: She was a ghost stuck in his school. He was the only one who can see and touch her. There were some who can see her. But it was only him that can help her discover the secrets of her past and rediscover herself.
1. Prologue: Do you believe in ghosts?

A/N: I was soooo overwhelmed with school this past few weeks and I needed a break from reality. So, what better way to get away from everything than by writing a new story?

This is a bit different from other stories you've read, but then again, that's always the case with my stories. They're always different cause I hate clichés; either they're plainly different or a bit typical with some unexpected twists. Hope you enjoy! XD

Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto. *cries*

**Prologue: Do you believe in ghosts?**

Ohayou, minna-san! Or is it actually the afternoon? Sorry about that, I lost track of time already. See, in my condition, it's kinda hard to keep track of time.

Before I tell you what condition that is, I have a question for you. Answer me honestly alright? I want to know your real feelings about my condition. Okay, here it goes… Do you believe in ghosts?

Weird question, right? I know, don't worry, if I were you, I would have been freaked out too. Don't freak out though, because I'm not a psycho. It's just… Well, I'll get straight to the point. Don't be scared alright?

I'm Haruno Sakura. I was born March 28. I'm eighteen years old. Or I think I am. My condition is… Well, I'm a ghost. Don't freak out! I don't kill people or take out their internal organs or scare them to death! Okay, so sometimes I scare people, but the only ones who get scared are the ones who have negative thoughts on us ghosts (_Yes_, you read that right, _ghosts_. I'm not the only one on campus). Oh, and another thing. Two, actually. So the first is I don't have any memory at all of what happened to me before I died. Not because I'm dead though, cause the other ghosts I've met have memories of how and why they died. I have none of those though. I don't even know anything else about my past for that matter. Okay, second thing is I kind of uhm… just 'woke up' on campus. I can't use any other term for it, really, cause that's exactly how it felt like. Like you were just woken up from a really long slumber. And there's a catch too: apparently, I can't leave the school. I don't know why but I guess it has something to do with how I died. And I think that it' about fifty two years ago. Pretty long time, huh?

So now you know about me. I can't give you anything else though, that's kind of everything I know about myself. Yeah, not much right? But I hope it was enough to give some light on who is babbling nonstop here. Do you believe me? Probably not. But maybe if I tell you why I'm telling you all this, you might believe me.

A few weeks ago, I was really bored. Nobody came by the old building I'm in, so I decided to do a little wandering. I passed by the new building for the senior students, and just passed by the students in there. It felt weird, however. They just don't stare or smile at you when you get near them. You can't talk to anyone; no one can see you and no one can hear you even if you're the one who's talking. No matter how long I've been like this, I just can't help but feel sad when nobody notices me.

I walked through the cafeteria, the lobby and even sat in a few classes just to get rid of the boredom but it won't go away. I really needed someone to talk to.

I noticed something while in one of the classes: there was a garden behind the new building. And it has a sakura tree in it (I love cherry blossoms!). So I decided to just go there to pass the time since I have nothing else to do.

While on my way there, I noticed two guys talking. Well, they can't see me so might as well go and catch up on campus gossip. I sat down on one of the benches around the tree, and like I assumed, they didn't notice me. Who would anyways? I'm a ghost. So I just sat there silently and listened to their conversation. It went something like this:

"Teme! C'mon, give me a real answer, you moron!" That's what the tan, whiskered, blue-eyed blond asked his friend. I turned to said friend to see what his answer was and how he looked like.

All I can say is this: He. is. GORGEOUS! Not just the gorgeous type, he's the drop-dead gorgeous type! He has onyx eyes, black hair in the shape of a-I tried hard not to giggle-_chicken's ass, _and pale white complexion. All he said in response to his friend was this, "I told you already dobe, I don't know. Figure it out yourself or ask the lazy genius Nara."

His blond friend was about to make a remark when the loud ringing of the bell reached all of our ears. Just when they were about to leave, the dark haired boy turned his head in my direction. He then did something that surprised both me and his blond friend.

He nodded at me.

"Ne, teme, who you nodding at?" The blond boy turned to his friend who had already started walking away from me, towards the building.

"No one dobe." Then in a much softer voice that his blond friend didn't hear, but I did, he added, "At least, no one you'd see."

When they were both gone, I was left staring at the ground. That onyx-orbed male… He made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time.

Happiness.

Acceptance.

Recognition.

Normality.

But most of all, he made me feel one particular thing that I never thought I would be capable of feeling.

_Hope._

There. Now you know why I'm telling you this. It's just that I suddenly feel hopeful that he can help explain my past. I want to know. I want to know so badly. I just thought I should share it with you.

I just hope you believe me.

Like I hope he'll believe and help me in discovering my past life.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

A/N: So there! I got the idea from Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. I don't own that though, and I won't go with that story. Like I said before, I have a different way of thinking :)) Review please! I'd really appreciate what you think of this story. even though it's just beginning.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting With a Ghost

A/N: Hey guys! Whew, finally updated. Sorry, I've been really busy at school and my stories are paying for it. But, I took the time to update this story because of an awesome reviewer!

_**EMILY! **_Do you know that I got this one up early just for you? 3 You know, you motivate me to write even though I'm busy! You are so awesome! Hard core, dude. Thank you for the support! This chapter's for you, sweetie!

NOOOOOO! Don't kill me yet okay? I know I promise to update Sunday (WHICH IS THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY!) and I didn't. And I have a very good excuse, I swear! It rained cats and dogs here last Sunday, and Internet access was a no-no, to our place, at least.. Then my stupid teacher just had to go and give a BIG exam today, and made me study the lesson yesterday… So, you get the picture right?

**Chapter 1: Meeting With a Ghost**

Eighteen year old Uchiha Sasuke walked calmly to his room. Onyx eyes roamed the school hallways in search of his friends. The only thing he spotted was his fan club, with hearts in their eyes and drool hanging from their mouths. Well, you really can't blame the mindless beasts. Pale skin, aristocratic face, deep onyx eyes and a muscular body, who wouldn't fall heads over heels for the Uchiha? Sasuke was practically a Greek God incarnate (according to his fangirls, at least).

With no sign of the lazy genius, Hyuuga prodigy, or the loud baka he called a best friend, he sat in his chair at the classroom. There were still a few more minutes before class starts, and two more subjects before class is over for the day. Sasuke contemplated this fact. Two more subjects equal two more hours at school. After that, then what? The dark-haired boy didn't want to go home yet. Not when his father and brother are still in the house. He glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes before the bell rings for History.

"Sasuke-teme!"

The loud call and familiar name-calling brought him out of his thoughts. A tan blond walked over to him, a huge grin on his face and his hands tucked comfortably at the back of his head. Blue eyes sparkled with mirth, a usual occurrence for the boy, Sasuke mused. Once the ever-smiling lad reached his desk, the dark-orbed male raised an eyebrow. There were only two reasons why Naruto approached him before class: one is because he needed to copy his homework, and the other is to bother him. Sasuke leaned more towards the latter; they didn't have any homework for the rest of the day. Unsurprisingly, the blond spoke first.

"Ne, teme, can I talk to you?"

The Uchiha frowned. The dobe was talking quietly? Since when did Uzumaki Naruto, king of all things loud, speak silently? "You're talking to me, idiot."

Even more surprising, the blond actually had the audacity to glare at him. Whoa, back up a little. Naruto? Glare? Since when?

Still retaining the frown on his face, Sasuke looked at Naruto and stood from his chair. Nodding at his friend (best friend) to lead the way, he silently thought about Naruto's attitude. For one, he was unusually serious. The blue-eyed boy was never serious, unless something bad happened. Sasuke's brows furrowed. What, if anything, could have gone wrong? The dobe was somewhat quiet too.

When they stopped walking, he was snapped back from his thoughts. He looked at his surroundings and realized where Naruto had taken him. They were in the garden behind the new high school building. On the center of the area-his right- was a sakura tree. Near the path were a few more plants and shrubberies. It wasn't as beautiful as it should have been, since it's still new and wasn't finished yet, but the scenery was beautiful regardless.

Sasuke turned to his friend and raised a brow. "Why'd you bring me here, dobe?"

Naruto turned to look at his best friend. His face was serious, and you could see a tad bit of confusion and frustration in his expressions. Then he spoke slowly, as if testing the waters, "Sasuke… I need your advice on something."

"That doesn't explain why I'm here, baka. If you wanted to ask me something, you could have done it at the classroom."

Naruto started flailing. His eyes were wide and he was biting his lips. Then he shouted in a very Naruto-like fashion, "THIS IS CONFIDENTIAL, TEME! NO ONE CAN KNOW ABOUT THIS! NO ONE CAN KNOW THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ASK HINATA-CHAN OUT!"

Sasuke snickered. With how Naruto practically shouted that to the entire school, he had no doubt the other side of the world heard it too. And he said it was confidential? Right. _Nobody_ in the entire school knew about Naruto's and Hinata's little crush on each other. _Absolutely nobody_.

"You dragged me out here for that? Figure it out yourself, I'm going back."

"Aww, but don't you realize that this is really _really_ _**really**_ _**really**_ _**REALLY**_ important to me? I mean, what if Hinata-chan rejects me? Maybe she won't say that directly, since Hina-chan is really nice like that, and she'd be too shy to say it to me and besides, she might faint! Oh God, what do I tell Neji then? Even worse what if Neji tries to kill me? Hina-chan probably won't let that happen since…"

_Blah blah blah_... Sasuke blocked out the rest of the dobe's rant. It would probably just go on and on and on about a certain Hyuuga they know. Then he caught wind of Neji's name. _Make that two Hyuugas_, he thought.

"…and she's just so pretty and nice that I thi-ne, teme? TEME! Are you even listening to me?"

"What, dobe?"

"Argh! Ugh, fine, be that way. Just answer me this one question, alright? How do I ask Hinata out?"

"…Hn. Don't know, don't care."

"Teme! C'mon, give me a real answer, you moron!"

"I told you already dobe, I don't know. Figure it out yourself or ask the lazy genius Nara."

The blond baka known as Naruto opened his mouth to retort. He never got the chance though; the school bell rang loudly, signaling that it's time for next period to start. Sasuke and Naruto both turned to leave the small garden, but Sasuke turned his head in another direction. He looked at the pink-haired girl; he knew she had been there while the dobe was ranting endlessly about the Hyuuga girl. He also knew that she wasn't what she looked like. And that the dobe can't see her. But neither of those facts stopped him from nodding at her. So nod he did.

"Ne, teme, who you nodding at?" Naruto asked him as he turned away from her and started walking towards the high school building.

"No one dobe." Then in a softer voice, he added, "At least, no one you'd see." He knew the dobe didn't hear him, but he wasn't sure about the girl.

You see, Sasuke was different. Not just him, no, his entire clan was different. They can see things that other people can't. It was all rooted down to their ancestors- a ninja clan. One of the most powerful to ever live in Konoha. They had a special doujutsu-_ocular powers_- that made them see things other people can't- like for example, the flow of chakra-_life force_-in a human's body, attacks even before they are performed and, if talented enough, the thoughts of a person.

But once a war for power had erupted, all clans decided to seal off their kekkei genkai-_special abilities_. Clan heads believed that no one should ever obtain a power so dangerous it might wipe out the entire human race. They also banned the use of chakra and decided to live as mere civilians.

From then on, not a single ninja was found. There were certain rumors that a few escaped and used genjutsu-_illusions_-to hide their lairs. None of those were proven though. Even though the kekkei genkais were sealed, a few abilities still retained in certain powerful clans. It was kept a secret though, for the sake of the normality of the growth of the children with other children, and only the clansmen themselves knew about those abilities. The Uchiha clan was one of those clans to still transfer certain traits of their kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, from generation to generation. That was the reason Uchihas such as Sasuke himself can see supernatural beings.

He left the garden then, the Uzumaki following him and the pink-haired ghost staring at the ground in front of her.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

He didn't see her again for two weeks after that. The Uchiha still didn't know why he nodded at her, heck, he didn't know why he acknowledged her presence. One thing his mother taught him when he was younger and still afraid of the ghosts was to pretend they weren't there. That he didn't see them at all. So why did he nod at her?

Looking around the small but nice garden, he found his answer.

He remembered the scene; he had a good memory after all. She was sitting on one of the benches, looking at them as if they fascinated her. As if she knew that they didn't know she was there. She smiled like it was normal for her not to be noticed, like she was resigned to her fate as a ghost. And her hair. Her hair stood out the most in his memory. Strands as pink as sakura flowers. Add the fact that her eyes were a nice shade of green, and you have a ghost looking like she completely _belonged_ to the scenery.

Yes, that's it. She looked like she just belonged to that school, that garden especially. He can't describe it but seeing her there in her red top and black shorts… She didn't disrupt the scenery, like other intruders would, and she didn't feel like an unwelcomed presence. In fact, Sasuke can't believe he's saying this, to a ghost no less, it felt like she's a part of that garden.

He acknowledged her existence because, with how things appeared to him, it looked like _she_ was the _owner_ of that garden. Like it had been made with that pink-haired girl in mind. And now, he's sitting in her garden, wondering about the enigma that was the pink-haired green-eyed girl (ghost).

"Hey."

A soft voice called out to him. It was weird, he doesn't know that voice and has never heard it before in his life. He turned to look at the source of the voice and, lo and behold, appeared the person-_errr, ghost_-that was troubling him just moments ago. He nodded at her (déjà vu, anyone?) as she hesitantly moved to the bench he was sitting on.

"You can see me. Right?" The green-eyed ghost asked him. He raised a brow at the question; of course, he can see her. Why else would he nod at her?

"Obviously. Would I be talking to you now if I can't?" Sasuke retorted. He wasn't being rude; he's just really blunt and frank. A bit sarcastic too.

The ghost girl tapped her chin with her pointer finger and looked towards the sky, as if thinking. Then she clasped her hands together, and a bright smile spread across her face. "You're right! Ne, that's amazing! Only a few people can actually see me. How'd you do it?" She looked absolutely curious. Sasuke had to wonder when the last time someone talked to her normally was, like what they're doing now. The girl sounded like she hadn't been able to open her mouth for ages.

"It's an ability passed down from generation to generation in our clan. Everyone in my family can see ghosts." He replied. He wasn't usually this talkative, but this ghost girl intrigued him. He can still see ghosts but that's very few and far in between compared to when he was a little boy. Besides, the ghosts he saw were normally old, this girl looked like she was around his age. He thought about her purpose here, why she was a ghost in his school.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"Oh, well. I was just walking around campus like I normally d-"

"No, I meant, why are you here? In this school?" Sasuke knew she did it on purpose. She knew what he was asking; she just purposefully sidestepped the question and gave an answer she knew would be valid, yet not the entire truth. Huh, she's clever.

He watched her bite her lower lip and felt her high spirits sink. Her eyes were averted from his face; instead she now looked at the cherry blossom tree behind him. Finally, she spoke, but he noticed that her voice was shaking slightly and had a tinge of bitterness to it.

"I don't know."

His brows furrowed. How come she doesn't know? If she's still here and has not passed on yet, then it must mean that she still has something to do here. Unfinished business. The only reason for the presence of ghosts is their unfinished business. They had something they needed to do before they died, but they never got around to doing it because of an untimed death. After their death, their soul refused to enter the gates of heaven, believing that they still needed to achieve a few things. They believed that they should do it no matter what and how long it takes, and wouldn't pass on until it gets done. Few ever got around to finishing whatever business they left, with a human's aid, while even fewer got around to doing it on their own.

Regardless of any of those, a ghost should know its business here, so what the hell happened to her? He decided to ask her the one question in his mind right at that moment.

"What?"

The girl sighed. She looked at him again, but her eyes held a more guarded look to it, and she appeared to have some sort of internal struggle whether to speak to him or not. Despite the guarded effect her eyes portrayed, her overall posture screamed the opposite: vulnerability. She was afraid of something, that much he could tell.

When the pink-haired ghost spoke again, in a slightly hushed voice, it was a different answer than he expected.

"What's your name?"

"Sasuke."

"Well, Sasuke. Do you want to know my story?"

The ghost girl looked almost shy, hesitant. He considered it. Hey, it wasn't everyday that he talked to a pink-haired ghost beneath the cherry blossom tree in the new garden behind the new high school building. Besides, his curiosity was peaked. How come she had no idea what her unfinished business was? So he nodded. School's over anyway, and he doesn't want to go home yet.

The girl moved to take a seat next to him before speaking, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I was eighteen years old when I died, and I've been dead for about 52 years now. You know that old building there? The one used to store facilities and supplies and stuff?"

Sasuke nodded.

"I just… I dunno, 'woke up' there. I can't use any other term for it, really, because that's the closest description I can come up with."

"Wait, you woke up there? Then does that mean that you died there?"

"Well, I can't answer that Sasuke. See, I don't know anything about my past. I can't remember anything from before I died. That's a common misconception though. A ghost waking up on the place of her death, I mean. People assume that ghosts stay on the exact location of their deaths, but I've come to discover that it isn't true. It's just the general location they stay in, not the exact place."

Sasuke raised a brow, "Then how did you know that your corpse wasn't there?"

Sakura gave him a blank look. She looked more and more like her real self with every passing minute. Not that he knew what her real self was like, but you get the gist. "I searched the entire building, duh. What, you think I just stared at the wall for 52 years?"

He shook his head. He stayed silent, nodding for her to continue the story.

She did. "Anyways, when I 'woke up', I didn't know anything that happened. All I know is my name, birthday and that something felt wrong with me. I don't know anything about my past, like I said, and it even took me a while to figure out I was a ghost."

Sakura took a large intake of breath, and then sighed dramatically. "I even found out that I can't leave the school. Imagine my horror when I couldn't walk out of the school grounds. It's just… too sudden for me, you know? Not everyone wakes up to a foreign place with no memory whatsoever. Add the fact that I was still just starting to accept being a ghost then. Well, let's just say that it's something I don't want to repeat again. Like ever, in my entire ghost life."

Sakura turned to stare at the plants a few feet away from her. She spotted agrimony and red bay, if she wasn't mistaken. She stared at the plants for a few moments, pondering on the irony of it all. Agrimony essentially means, in the language of flowers, gratitude while red bay leaves signify love and memory. Well, she was thankful to Sasuke listening. Love and memory? Memory, definitely, since they are talking about her life here and her lost memories. But love? Nah. Not in a million years.

Sasuke thought about what she said. No memories? Unknown unfinished business? Huh, interesting. He thought about introducing her to the Hyuugas. They might be able to help her, especially Hinata. He knew Neji well enough to know that the prodigy didn't concern himself with matters such as this. He turned to the ghost girl-Sakura.

"You don't remember your past?" His eyebrow rose.

"No. I just told you didn't I?" Huh, she has quite a temper, he mused. She actually sounded annoyed.

He shrugged. It was her turn to raise a brow. "You're not very talkative, are you?"

"Hn."

"Hn? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Hn."

"Argh! You are impossible. Great, the first time I actually had a decent conversation with someone, he turned out to be a completely anti-social idiot with a shortage of vocabulary and a few loose screws."

He frowned. "Did you just call me an idiot?"

"Obviously. Unless there happened to be another person I'm talking to in here. Do you see anyone? No? Good. I'm talking to you, dumbass."

He smirked. He could actually tolerate this girl. A bit. She wasn't that bad. First of all, she's not a fangirl. Girls bow at his feet most of the time. He's stalked 24/7. Even old female ghosts had their eyes set on him, and a few actually dared to flirt with him. But Sakura did the opposite of these things. She actually had the audacity to insult him. She's feisty and smart, something uncommon to most human girls around him. Wait, she wasn't human, he almost forgot about that. But still, she's a girl, and her non-fangirl attitude was really something.

Sakura sighed. They were getting nowhere. Time to pop the big question.

Sasuke turned his attention to her, sensing her mood shift. She looked more serious now, determined even. Somehow, he knew what she was going to ask. He just doesn't know what his answer will be.

"Ne, Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Just did."

"This is serious! Come on, cooperate!"

"Fine. What do you want?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Will you help me find out about my past?"

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

A/N: You probably noticed how much I love the number 7. There are seven dots, and seven hugs and kisses in this chapter. My fave number is 14, but I think fourteen hugs and kisses is too much, so I split it in half! Anyone else have a freaky number fetish?

Oh, and don't forget to leave me a review, kay? Answer me this one question too. _**Whose point of view do you think should I write in?**_ For next chapter, I mean. If you haven't noticed yet, I used Sasuke's point of view in this chapter. I didn't want to do it with Sakura in the first person, that'll just be boring if we stick to one person. This is a different story than others, so I want to do it in a different way, somewhat.

Over and out!


	3. Chapter 2: Uchiha and Hyuuga

Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree

Chapter Two: Uchiha and Hyuuga

For some unknown reason, Hyuuga Neji didn't like History. He didn't know what everyone else who liked the subject saw in it, all he saw was a troublesome annoyance full of random facts and stupid chronological events that happened in the past and shouldn't be given focus. He was good at it, but that didn't mean that he liked it.

Hold that thought, of course he was good at it, he was the infamous Hyuuga prodigy.

Now, if only the infamous Hyuuga prodigy can focus on what his teacher was babbling about.

They say that time flies whan you're having fun, but when you're not, time seems to be on pause. He glanced at the clock and groaned inwardly. It was barely five minutes ago when he last did. Now, Neji only has to wait for forty five more minutes. Great.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

The ringing of the school bell signifying the end of classes was music to his ears. The dark-haired Hyuuga walked calmly through the halls in search of his cousin. It was normal for them to be going home together, since they lived in the same house, and had the same time of departure from school. It has always been like that.

But as he soon found out, that wouldn't be the case today.

"Neji-nii-san, do you mind g-going home alone to-today?" His shy cousin approached him when he was near his locker and asked that.

"Do you still have something to do here, Hinata?" He asked. He was confused. She never stayed at school after classes, being too shy to actually participate in any events and too afraid of her father to disobey his orders.

"H-Hai. Kurenai-sensei asked me to stay and h-help with the Ikebana flower arrangements for an upcoming event i-in the school auditorium. We m-might be fi-finished somewhat l-late. Could you tell t-tou-san?" Her pleading eyes begged him to say yes. Although Hinata is a strong girl, she's still afraid of what her father has to say, something that both bugged and amused Neji.

He relented. "Alright. I'll go ahead and tell uncle. Do you want me to come get you when you're done?" He asked.

Hinata shook her head. "N-no, thank you. I'll just go home alone."

Neji raised a skeptical eyebrow at what his cousin said. One of the many reasons she never goes home alone is someone always seems to be bugging the shy heiress. Either she gets bullied by other students (Karin and her posse seemed to have fun embarassing the shy Hyuuga and making fun of her stuttering problems) or men hit on her. It's the second option she was always afraid of, though. Nonetheless, Neji's pissed at both.

"Will you be alright? It's not safe out there for you to be alone." He told the Hyuuga heiress. Over the years, the older Hyuuga has grown quite protective of his cousin, seeing as she's always so nice and naïve to people who had bad intentions.

"Y-yes. I'll be o-okay. I have to go now, I'll see y-you later, nii-san." With a smile and a short wave, Hinata turned to leave. Neji stared at the spot where his cousin stood, debating with himself. On one hand, Hinata told him to leave and tell her father, his Uncle Hiashi, that she might be home late. On the other hand, he shouldn't leave his cousin all by herself because who-knows-what might happen to her. Someone must be having fun tormenting him up above.

While pondering over what to do, he decided to take a walk around campus. Taking walks and meditating always calmed him down. It was something he had gotten from his family; they were very traditional, even if they are, as Tenten puts it, filthy rich. Seeing as he can't meditate in this place, he decided taking a walk would be good enough. Konoha Gakuen was a large enough school anyways, seeing as it was built on top of a hill.

He started walking towards the exit to the building. Once he got out, he walked around until he got to the fountain at the very middle of the space, just in front of the main building entrance. Neji looked around. With his back to the entrance, he could see the golden gates of the school with bougainvillea plants on either side. The school itself was enclosed around a thick, eight-foot, white wall; the only entrance and exit being the one he was currently looking at. Trees are planted near the wall, with bermuda grass decorating the grounds. A small two-feet fence was put at the edge, to separate the grass from the stone walkway.

Calmed by the beautiful view in front of him, the dark-haired Hyuuga sat at the base of the fountain. He thought of his next course of action. He could go home now, but that would mean leaving Hinata to fend for herself. He didn't like it, but he still have to tell his uncle that his daughter has to stay for a project. He could stay too, but who would tell Hiashi of their time of arrival? Knowing his strict uncle, they'd probably get in trouble for not notifying anyone.

He only needed to pass the information somehow, then everything would be fine. The problem is how. He left his cellphone at home, so that's out of the question. The telephone in the guidance counselor's office wasn't fixed yet. He snickered at that thought. The telephone in that place was always broken, it seems the guidance counselor had more important stuff to do than get a technician to fix the phone. So how?

"Hey! Neji! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" A loud voice shouted at his back. Turning to face the person (though he already knew who she was), the Hyuuga prodigy raised an eyebrow at her haggard appearance. She just gave him a scowl, and motioned to sit beside him.

"Don't ask. Gai-sensei started another one of his youthful rants and made us run ten youthful laps around our youthful school of youth." She answered his silent question. He could tell she wasn't amused though, her mocking voice and almost glare were proof of that.

"Why were you looking for me, Tenten?" He changed the subject, knowing that ranting about their crazy sensei wasn't what she came there for.

Hazel eyes looked over at him for a moment, confused. It seems in her hazy state of mind, she forgot what she needed from him. Tenten looked preoccupied for a while, obviously trying to recall her motives. He hoped it wasn't something stupid, this classmate of his always has something mischievous in mind that she does to anyone within sight. And somehow, he was always counted in, whether he liked it or not.

"Oh, I remember! Asuma-sensei wanted me to give you this." the brunette handed him a bunch of papers, all typewritten and compiled in a clear plastic folder. "He said it was for the upcoming judo competition. I think he said something about rules, some moves he wanted you to practice, and profiles of every person participating in the tournament."

"Profiles? No one said anything about being given profiles."

"Oh, really? I dunno. He said it was mailed here by one of the judges and all the players' profiles were there. I even saw yours, actually."

He nodded. Now, it was time to-wait a minute. Tenten. Tenten was here. She could pass by their house and tell someone.

"Tenten, can I ask you a favor?"

He knew she was surprised. It wasn't very often that one can hear Hyuuga Neji say those words. He was a man of pride, and has never really considered asking anything from anyone, or anyone for anything. It was safe to say that Tenten was probably shouting at him in her head the words, "_Who are you and what have you done with Hyuuga Neji_?".

"Uh, sure. What do you need Neji?" Her eyes still betrayed the confused and unsure expression she's feeling.

"You would pass by the compound on your way to your home, correct?" He paused to hear her answer. At her silent nod, he continued, "If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind informing someone that we'll be staying late at school? Hinata has to help with the ikebana in the school auditorium and I offered to go home with her, seeing as it isn't safe for her to be going home alone at a late time."

"Oh, sure. No prob, Neji, leave it to me." Tenten smiled then, and stood from her seat. "Well, I better get going now or I might catch that crazy gym teacher. Don't wanna see Gai's face for a good couple of weeks. Later, Neji!"

Said boy watched his classmate jog to the gates. When her figure descended the long flight of stairs outside (they had to climb stairs every morning to get to the school because of its location), he shifted his gaze elsewhere. Now that his problem was taken care of, he decided to resume his walk around the campus. Turning one last look at his surroundings, he thought about the new garden behind their building. Come to think of it, he hasn't been there before.

Without anything better to do, he made his way to the new garden. The pale-eyed Hyuuga knew that it wasn't finished yet, so the garden wasn't officially opened, but students were permitted to come and go as long as they didn't destroy anything.

When he arrived, he saw one of his classmates already sitting at one of the benches in front of the cherry blossom tree. Neji wasn't very surprised that he saw Uchiha Sasuke, his rival in almost anything (sports, studies, competitions, you name it) yet one of his close friends. If there was something they shared in common, aside from smarts and talents, it was their quiet nature and their liking for silent and calming places.

He moved to join the Uchiha on the bench when another voice drifted to his ears. A female voice, it seemed. The boy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He knew Uchiha didn't appreciate the company of the fairer sex; he seemed to avoid them at all costs. Curiosity tugged at him, and he moved forward to see who the mystery girl was.

"-told you, didn't I?"

What Neji saw would probably make some sort of sense to a normal person. Uchiha was talking to an unknown girl with pink hair, emerald eyes, and a pale complexion. But if anything, Hyuuga Neji was not a normal person. Deception did not sit well with him, and he can clearly see through her façade. She was definitely not of this world.

Neji's eyes narrowed. Clearly, the Uchiha didn't see through the face the ghost put up for him. A frown took over his face as he listened in on their conversation.

As they were talking, he made sure to take note of the subtle, yet still a tad bit noticeable, facial expressions of the Uchiha. The pale-eyed boy could see amusement and curiosity dance in his friend's face.

This wasn't looking too good in Neji's eyes. Sasuke seemed to be entranced by the ghost, which would explain why he was talking to her in the first place. They were all taught at an early age to just ignore ghosts as if they don't exist, so no potential harm can be brought upon them. They found out first hand what devastating effect a ghost powerful enough could do to a human. Hinata's accident had given them the perfect warning. He had to do some damage control. Now.

Just as he was about to take a step in their direction, something made him stop dead in his tracks. Something the girl had said to his friend.

"Will you help me find out about my past?"

His eyes drifted to the dark-haired lad in the bench. Neji could see that the boy's face was blank, as it always was. He took this as a good sign, maybe Sasuke hasn't been fully-controlled by his new "friend".

The brown-haired Hyuuga decided to take the silence to his advantage. He knew there was no way the ghost could know about his ability to see her, so this would be the perfect time to take Uchiha and go. He stepped forward and made his presence known to the two.

"Uchiha. I didn't think I would see you here."

He saw the onyx-eyed boy turn his face towards him. "Hyuuga. Likewise. How long have you been standing there?"

Neji closed his eyes and shook his head, "Not very long. I was just passing by and noticed that you were here."

Sasuke nodded. "Hn."

He went closer to Sasuke. He ignored the shifting aura beside the lad, instead focusing on his friend. "Your classes are over, am I correct?" At the nod he received, he continued, "I suppose you have no more business here in school. Would you mind walking home with Hinata and I for today? I have some matters to discuss with you."

"About what? We can talk now." He saw the Uchiha's face form a frown. The frown was more of confusion than of actual frustration, he knew. After all, it wasn't everyday that he had asked Sasuke to join them on their way home.

"I'm afraid not. Hinata has to know about this one too."

"Alright. Where's your cousin? Let's go already."

"Wait!" cried the ghost, standing as if to stop Sasuke from going.

Neji paid no attention to the loud exclamation of the ghost. He turned away from them, walking back to where he came from, and pretended not to hear the girl.

He heard Sasuke mumble a few words to the girl, then the dark-haired boy moved to join him. They both walked away from the garden, with Neji leading the way towards the front of the building, to the school auditorium.

Before they walked into the building, Neji thought he felt a sinister aura behind them. Seeing no change in the Uchiha's expression, he figured it must be his imagination.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

They waited for a bit for Hinata to be dismissed. Once the shy heiress of the Hyuuga clan went out of the auditorium and moved towards them, Neji straightened up. Sasuke did the same, abandoning his leaning position on the wall and unfolding his arms.

Neji motioned for the two to follow him. The walk was done in silence, and it wasn't until they were nearing the bottom of the stairs outside the school that Neji voiced his thoughts.

"Do both of you remember what happened to Hinata a few years back?" He decided to keep looking forward, but still kept track of their reactions at the corner of his eyes. Seeing Sasuke nod and Hinata stutter out a small "H-hai.", he abruptly stopped and stared at Sasuke somewhat icily.

In response, the onyx-eyed lad just raised an eyebrow. They were now at the end of the long staircase, and nothing else can be heard except for the howling of the wind and the tweeting of a few birds. The silence was suffocating to his cousin, he knew, but they needed to have this talk, especially with Sasuke. It seems the Uchiha boy did not know what he has gotten himself into.

"What about it, Hyuuga?" The eyebrow had yet to return to its natural position in Sasuke's face, and a frown now marred his gorgeous features.

"You know very well what I am talking about, Uchiha. We were both there in the garden." Said the male Hyuuga.

Hinata's confused eyes darted back and forth between the two males, not exactly knowing what they were talking about. Neji paid no heed to the inquisitive look his female cousin sent him; she would hear the tale from Sasuke himself and he intended to make sure that the Uchiha in front of them would talk. If Sasuke's temper didn't get the best of him, that is.

"So you did see her." The raised eyebrow and frown disappeared from Sasuke's face then, and he slipped onto his emotionless façade. He didn't wait for his friend slash rival to confirm what he said, he merely continued to voice his thoughts. "Was that what this is all about? If it is, then I don't need to hear it."

"Sasuke."

The aforementioned boy stared at him, almost daring him to pursue the topic. They both knew the gravity of the situation, and since he called the boy by his first name, Neji was sure it was now brought to Sasuke's attention.

Neji decided to continue, seeing as the young Uchiha didn't move from his spot. "We are one of the few who are gifted with this ability," he ignored the way Sasuke snorted at the word 'gifted', "and one of the rules we were taught was that we must know when and how to use it properly. That, or just ignore the beings around us that we have no knowledge of, as a second rule."

Sasuke's dark eyes looked at Neji boredly, somewhat lazily, though traces of annoyance can already be seen flashing in his onyx orbs. "I already knew that. I didn't come here to hear you rant about old myths."

"They are more than just myths and you know it, Sasuke." He narrowed his pearl eyes at the stubborn teen in front of him before he continued speaking. "Hinata made the mistake of breaking the first rule accidentally almost five years ago, which forced the elders to create the second rule. Why are you abiding by neither?"

Sasuke shrugged, his face clearly portraying the annoyance he felt now. His temper was escalating, even the two Hyuuga could notice that. "I'm not breaking any rules. We were just talking; I don't see how a rule was violated."

Neji watched the dark-haired boy turn away from him. He didn't bother stopping Sasuke; he knew it was pointless to try and talk to him now. The major differentiating factor between Neji and Sasuke was temper. Sasuke had a short fuse, while it takes a miracle to get Neji pissed. He knew better than to talk to "emo boy" (as Sai had so graciously dubbed him) while he was aggravated. However, Hinata seemed to want to know the story now.

"A-ano. S-Sasuke-san? Neji-nii-san? W-what's g-going on?" The Hyuuga heiress shifted her eyes from Sasuke to him, almost pleading them to tell her. Whenever mention of the incident five years ago drifted to Hinata's ears, Neji knew that she would be beyond nervous, not to mention curious, since talk of it was banned to prevent any repeat of the accident.

Sasuke's obsidian orbs drifted to the Hyuuga girl. Hinata was fiddling with her thumbs now, eyes showing her confusion and slight anxiety. He told her a short version of what happened.

"I encountered a ghost around two weeks ago. We met again in the garden and talked." Came the stoic voice of the Uchiha.

"That isn't all there was to it and you know it. Now tell her the rest Sasuke, you might need Hinata's advice." Neji coaxed him to go on. Sasuke's irritation was already seeping in, but they had to continue this talk, if it was to keep all of them safe. He knew his cousin would be more than willing to help, even to the point of putting herself in danger. He knew there was no way he was going to let that happen.

When he felt a gentle touch on his arm, Neji looked at his side questioningly. Seeing his female cousin's soft gaze, he sighed and decided to let the chicken-haired male continue without any interruptions on his part.

Sasuke continued. "Haruno Sakura. She has amnesia and has been here for a long time. She asked for my help in recovering her memories."

"D-did you a-agree, Sasuke-san?" Hinata's surprisingly calm voice only met silence. When she was about to rephrase her question, Sasuke's voice reached her ears.

"No. Your cousin came before I could answer her question."

The Uchiha's choice of words made Neji narrow his eyes. He never said anything about turning her down. However, he stopped himself from talking. After all, he did give a silent vow to his cousin. It seemed his friend was still reluctant to talk about "old myths".

There was a moment of silence before Hinata chose to voice her next and most important question. She did it with some reluctance on her part, after all, the shy heiress was never one to be so straightforward. Seeing his cousin take a deep breath, the older Hyuuga knew that she was composing herself and trying to muster enough courage not to stutter.

"Do you plan on helping h-her?" Hinata's voice cracked slightly at the end. It was apparent to all of them that the situation was giving her the jitters._ She probably still remembers the incident with the old lady_, Neji mused. After all, how can she forget the one incident that nearly stole her soul and almost kill her in the process?

No answer was heard from the Uchiha.

It was common knowledge for Neji that his friend did not bother himself with matters such as these. The dark-haired male did not care much for the supernatural, preferring to stay as nonchalant as possible when it involves their clans' secrets. However, Sasuke was acting weird at this moment. Because with the way things were going, it actually seemed to Neji that he was considering involving himself with that ghost girl's problem.

The silence between them became too much for Neji to bear. Just when he was about to voice his frustration with the all-too-quiet lad in front of him, he heard Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh. Then, Uchiha Sasuke, Mr.-I-know-everything-so-NEVER-tell-me-what-to-do, released the three words he never thought would come from his rival's mouth.

"I don't know."

If he wasn't so utterly surprised that Sasuke admitted that he didn't know what to do, Neji would have glared at him. The three foreign words simply took all of the three people off-guard, the male Hyuuga especially, since he knew that if the situation didn't call for it, never in a thousand years would he hear that phrase from his friend/rival. He knew the onyx-orbed male meant it.

Judging by the way Sasuke ran his hand through his hair, and by the sheer look of frustration that was evident on his pale face, Neji figured that there must be something else bothering him. Knowing his normally calm and collected friend, he knew that the Uchiha would never let this much emotion show on his face. Indifference was something he used to cover all traces of unwanted emotion.

The older Hyuuga turned to look at his cousin. Hinata's eyes showed that gentleness she always seemed to portray, and aside from that usual look, there also resided a gleam of compassion in her silver orbs. Compassion for a friend that was confused beyond reason. Remembering the silent promise earlier, he decided to wait for conversation to pick up.

Hinata must have felt his gaze, for she cleared her throat and turned to look at him. "Nii-san? What do you suggest w-we do about th-this?" Unsure silver eyes, and a pair of black orbs, looked questioningly at him then.

He looked up at the sky. _"If only Shikamaru was here. He is the strategist, after all." _

A light breeze passed the silent trio. None of them said anything for another while. Neji stared at Sasuke for what seemed like the longest time, before he finally settled on voicing his thoughts. "You seem more troubled than is necessary. Is there something else that we should know, Sasuke?"

He saw the Uchiha's eyes narrow slightly at the ground. His lips were pursed tighter than normal, and the two Hyuuga could see the beginnings of a frown on his face. He knew that his friend would likely deny anything else was wrong, but it was apparent from his facial expression that there was something else he was struggling with.

"It's nothing."

Sasuke's all too quick answer only served to prove Neji's suspicions. He won't dig into that matter for now, as it was more important to focus on the problem at hand. He didn't need another matter on his plate. It was quite full as it was now.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his cousin give out a small, soft sigh.

Pretending not to hear her, the older Hyuuga moved to stand beside his rival. He placed his right hand on the dark-haired boy's shoulder, and faced forward. "You might be troubled now, but it is best if you leave this matter alone. I am merely voicing my opinion, however, what you decide to do is your decision alone."

Glancing at his female cousin, he added, "There is one thing I would like to ask of you, though."

Hearing his friend's grunt, Neji moved to look at Sasuke in the eye. "Whatever your decision may be, make sure that it won't severely affect any one of us. You know how interference with the supernatural world could alter all of our fates in a second."

"Sasuke-san?" Hinata's surprisingly determined and no-stutter voice reached their ears. Both males turned to look at her, and Neji saw the fierce determination he has only seen quite a few times in those silver orbs.

"Should you decide not to help her, we could a-all f-forget th-that this ev-ever happened. However," Hinata stopped at this point, and the look in her eyes looked to be a combination of determination and understanding and gentleness all in one.

"If you decide to help her, Neji-nii-san and I will always be around should you need our assistance."

Somehow, Neji wasn't surprised at the words that came out of her mouth. It was really just a Hinata thing to do, after all.

Seeing Hinata's smile and Neji's affirming nod, Sasuke merely sighed and responded with a bob of his head.

And with that, the three friends resumed their trek home in silence.

If Neji bothered to look back, he would have noticed a dark silhouette at the top of the stairs, just beyond the golden gates of the academy, staring intently at their retreating backs.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

That night, Neji couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning in his bed. Even meditation didn't calm him down any. It was too late in the evening to take a stroll in the compound, so he didn't bother with that option. It was already one am after all.

There was no reason he knew of as to why he couldn't sleep. Usually, sleep would claim him when he laid in bed for more than ten minutes. An hour has already passed by, and still, he was wide awake.

A knock came from the other side of the door. Sighing, he got up and moved towards the door. He idly wondered who could still be up and about at this time of night. He turned the knob to find the heiress on the other side of the door.

Hinata was fiddling with her thumbs, looking pretty much the same as her cousin. Sleep deprived.

"Gomen, Neji-nii-san. Did I w-wake you?" she inquired shyly.

Neji shook his head. "I couldn't sleep. Did you need something, Hinata?"

"I-I just wanted to ch-check on y-you. I w-was wondering if-if it was just me, or if this has something to do with the gh-ghost earlier?" Hinata asked.

Neji supposed it made sense. However, there was no way the ghost could have followed them to the compound. There was an ancient spell of some sort protecting the gates and walls. If by any chance it had the power to bypass that barrier, the clan members would immediately sense the presence of a ghost. Their entire family could see the supernatural, and every family would be alerted accordingly to take necessary measures to keep everyone safe.

Again, Neji responded by shaking his head. "I don't think the ghost has anything to do with this. If she does, the spell would have alerted us immediately. You should try and get some sleep, we still have classses in a few hours." He told his cousin.

"O-okay. You t-too, nii-san. G-good night."

After muttering a "Good night" of his own, he shut the door and moved to lie down on his bed. Closing his eyes, Neji waited painstakingly for sleep to claim him. And after another hour of waiting, it finally came.

Only, it brought with it the most horrible nightmare Neji has ever had.

xOxOxOxOxOxOxO

A/N: I won't bother with excuses and go straight to the apologies. I'M SORRY IT TOOK THIS LONG! I know, you're probably calling me a bitch, and I probably deserve it, but I really was busy, what with summer class and all.

This chapter is actually dedicated to a close friend of mine who turned 18 yesterday, but alas, I wasn't able to see her. It's a late gift, I guess, even if she doesn't know and I dunno if she's gonna like it. I probably never will. :D

Also, to clear things up, no idea here (except for the ghost-guy love story thing, which I DISCLAIM!) was copied anywhere. Though no worries, no offense taken! ;-)

You know the drill, READ AND REVIEW, MINNA!


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